


Growing Up Annie

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Family, Future Fic, Gen, Growing Old, Growing Up, M/M, Snapshots, Team as Family, sad in places
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:51:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: She knew her family had always been a little different that other families.





	1. Seven Months Old

**Author's Note:**

> This follows Jack's Decision, it is a series of snapshots of life as Annie grows up.

** Seven Months Old **

Jack dragged his eyes open and stared into the green lit darkness.  It took a moment for his tired body to catch up with his mental awareness and pull him upright to stumble across his bedroom to the crib and the wailing baby inside.  “Hey Annie, what’s wrong?  Is it your toofers again?  Huh?”  He pulled his daughter into his arms and snuggled her close as he let out a yawn.

Annie banged her face against her Daddy’s chest and wailed louder.

Jack shuffled across the hall to the nursery and collapsed into the glider, “What’s the matter Annie?”  Rubbing her back, he ran a hand over her head and frowned, “Are you warm, baby?  I don’t know if you’re coming down with something or just crying too hard.”  He kissed her head, “This is one of those times when I realize why kids shouldn’t have kids.”

“Everything okay?”

Jack looked up at his own dad entering the room.  “Do you think she’s warm?  I think she feels warm.”

Hotch crossed the small space and lifted the infant into his arms, running a large hand over her head.  “I think you might be right.  We need to find the thermometer and take her temperature.”  He passed the baby to his son and went in search of the small device.

Jack followed him into the bathroom a minute later, “She’s grabbing her ear, Dad.”

Hotch pulled out the thermometer and glanced over, “She may have an ear infection then.  Let’s do this,” he held up the stick, “And then you can call the nurse hotline and ask for advice.”

“Me?”  A look of panic crossed Jack’s face.

Hotch nodded, “You’re her Dad, I’ll stay right there and hold her, but you need to take care of it.”

 


	2. Three Years Old

** Three Years Old **

Annie pushed the door to Daddy’s bedroom open carefully.  Well-loved teddy in her arms, she scrambled across the room and when the thunder and lightning crashed again, she nearly leapt into his bed, pulling the covers over her head.  She felt her Daddy roll over and pull her close.

“It’s okay, Annie, it’s just noise.  Come here baby.”  Jack pulled her close, brushing her shoulder length hair with his fingers to calm her. 

As the storm raged around the house, Annie stayed snuggled in her Daddy’s arms.

=====

Jack stretched and yawned as the sunlight streaming through the window woke him up.  One swipe of a hand across the cool sheets told him his little cuddler had vanished some time ago.  He was about to sit up when a small brown-haired form rushed in and hurtled onto him, knocking the wind from him.

“Daddy!  You wake!  Papa make my cakes with coclat in them!”  She bounced as she spoke.

Jack scooped her up and held her in the air, making her squeal.  “He is?  Papa is making chocolate pancakes?  Does Daddy get any?”

“No!”  She wriggled and laughed.  “Daddy!  Put me down!”  Once standing on the floor, she pressed her tiny fists onto her hips and tried her best to give him a hard stare, “No ticka me!”

“I’m sorry.”  He made to look extra sorry as he sat up and put his own feet on the floor.

“Is okay Daddy.”  She scurried back out of the room.

Jack couldn’t help by smile at the antics of his daughter.  She’d been the light of his life ever since he brought her home.  His dad was helping out when he went to college and worked part time, but every spare moment he had, Jack spent with Annie.

=====

Hotch stood at the stove and laughed to himself when he heard the tiny girl laughing and chattering.  He hadn’t been surprised to see his up-with-the-birds granddaughter stumbling out of her daddy’s room, rubbing her eyes this morning.  She hated storms.  When Annie had started waking up every morning at almost the same time he did, grandfather and granddaughter had made themselves a routine of breakfast and light reading.  (He the news and she a very serious looking picture book). 

He was just getting the first batch of pancakes onto plates when Annie barreled back in, doing her best to climb into a chair on her own.  “Ready for breakfast, little one?”

She smiled brightly at him, nodding vigorously.  “Papa?  Can I has juice too?”

“Yes.  You may have juice.  Give me just a minute.”  When he turned back around, Jack was just wandering in.  “Rough night?”

“Annie came in, but went right to sleep, so no.”  He sank into a chair, “How does she have this much energy already?”

Hotch chuckled, “You used to drive your mother crazy at that age, you were always into everything.  It’s like you didn’t need sleep to function.”

Jack paused at his father’s words.  It wasn’t often anymore Haley was brought up in conversation.  He frowned, “She had you to help her.  I’m trying my best to not need you to help me, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“You’re doing a good job, Jack.”  He tapped the spatula against the pan, deep in thought, “Better than I did when you were little.  I’m proud of how you’re doing.”


	3. Five Years Old

** Five Years Old **

Annie scuffed her new shoes on the sidewalk and stared up at the big brick building.  Chewing her lip, she adjusted her princess backpack and looked over her shoulder to see Daddy and Papa getting out of the car and coming to join her.  They had spent all day shopping to find the perfect first day of kindergarten dress and a friend of Papa’s had come by to help get her hair to turn into fluffy curls.

Daddy knelt next to her, “Ready little one?  Today’s a big day and you’re going to do great.”

Annie nodded, still chewing her lip.  There were kids everywhere, some with parents, some in groups and some of them were so big!  When her Daddy and Papa took her hands and led her inside, she felt safe.  They often walked with her between them, making her feel protected from the rest of the world.

When the trio arrived at the classroom, a young teacher approached them, “Hi, I’m Miss Daily.  I’m your teacher.  What’s your name?”

When Daddy gave her hand a little squeeze, Annie answered, “Annie Hotchner.”

“Hello Annie, who brought you to school today?”

“My Daddy and my Papa.”  She looked from the friendly looking teacher up to the two men who were smiling down at her.

“Well, Annie, would you like take them to find the cubby with your name on it?  You can look around the room until it’s time for class to start, okay?”  Miss Daily stood and moved to greet the next student entering.

Annie turned around when her Papa knelt down, “Now Annie, I’ll be back to pick you up.  Daddy has to go to work but he’ll be home for dinner.  I expect to hear all about your first day of school, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now, let’s find your cubby and then give us some hugs and we have to leave.”

Annie found her cubby and hugged them goodbye before finding a chair at a small table to sit in.  By the end of the day, she knew the other girl and boy and her table’s names were Tia and Alfie.

 


	4. Seven Years Old

** Seven Years Old **

Annie ran to the far side of the playground, tears streaming down her face.  She sniffled and wiped her sleeve across her nose, huddling under the bushes in the corner just as she heard the running steps of Tia and Alfie catching up to her.

“Annie!  It’s okay, ignore them!”  Tia squeezed into the small space in the bushes with her friend.

“Yeah!”  Alfie’s face popped up in the entrance.  “You know it’s not true!  They’re just saying things to make you upset!”  He sat right in the opening in the foliage, no room was left inside.

Annie sniffled again, “I want to go home.  I want my Dad.”

Tia pulled her friend into a hug, “We should tell a teacher, Annie.  The teacher would punish them for being mean.”

“No.”

“Uh oh.  Incoming.”  Alfie alerted.

The trio of kids looked up as a teacher approached and peered into the bushes, “What’s happening over here guys?”

Tia looked from her friend to the teacher and back again before deciding telling was better than keeping her friend’s secret.  “Katie and Becky said Annie’s mom didn’t want her because she’s ugly and dumb.  They made her cry and she wants to go home.”

Miss Smith peeked in and saw Annie’s tearstained face, “How about we go to the office?”  She stood and put out her hands, “Come on, recess is over.  Let’s go inside.”  The teacher’s eyebrows rose when the other two students flanked their friend protectively, clearly intent on coming as well, but didn’t comment.

Once in the office, she sat the kids in the conference area and got them all juice boxes before stepping into the next room and making a call.  Thirty minutes later Miss Smith looked up when the door opened and a tall man with salt and pepper hair stepped in.  She’d only ever heard about the older Mister Hotchner in passing, never having had reason before now to meet the man, but she could see how his presence still screamed law enforcement.  Even in faded jeans and a polo shirt.

“Mister Hotchner, Annie and her friends are in the next room.  Annie wishes to go home.”

“What will be happening to the other students who were bullying her?”  He glanced around the small room, hesitating slightly where he could make out the young kids through a window, before returning his gaze to the teacher.

“We will be bringing them down and waiting for parents to be picked up.  There were more than a few witnesses to the event so the pair in question will be getting suspended for the remainder of this week and all of next.”

“Perhaps you could suggest some time with a counsellor as well?”

Miss Smith cocked her head in silent question.

“In my professional experience, bullying is usually a symptom of something else.”  He nodded once and moved to where his granddaughter was.  “Annie?”

Annie looked up, surprised to see her Papa.  “Papa!”  She flung herself into her arms and started crying all over again.

 


	5. Tewlve Years Old

** Twelve Years Old **

The living room was filled with blankets and pillows.  There were bits of popcorn lost around the room and the coffee table was littered with leftover pizza and snacks.  Annie was tucked between her two best friends watching the latest dad-approved kid movie that had come out.

The snacks had been delicious, but now Annie wasn’t feeling so hot.  She snuggled down into the blankets and drifted off.

Early the next morning, Annie wiggled out of their combined cocoon and went to go to the bathroom, still not feeling quite right.  Just as she flipped on the light, she heard her friend Tia ask in the dark, “Annie?  Where’re you going?”

“Bathroom, be right back.”  She pushed the door shut and sat on the toilet.  When she looked down, she realized there was blood in her underwear.  “Tia?”  She called out.

Tia stumbled closer to the door in the dark.  “Yeah?”

“Can you go find my dad?”  She sounded on the edge of tears.

“Umm.”  Tia glanced up the stairs, “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.”

The sun hadn’t even begun to peek over the horizon as Tia took a deep breath and started carefully up the steps.  At the top she stared at the two partially opened doors at the end of the hall.  She’d never been up here without her friend with her before and never at night.  As she crept closer to the door she knew Annie’s dad was behind, a deep voice from the other direction called out.

“What’s wrong?”

Tia froze before tiptoeing to the other door and peering in.  Annie’s grandfather was sitting up in bed, squinting to focus on the girl in the dark.  “Umm, Annie is in the bathroom downstairs, she asked me to come get her dad.”

Hotch tossed the covers off and stood up slowly, his body stiff from slumber.  “I’ll go.”  He followed the girl downstairs.  He knocked on the door, “Annie?  Can I come in?”

Her voice was watery when she answered, “It’s unlocked.”

Hotch stepped into the small bathroom, blinking against the bright lights and looked down at his granddaughter, instantly working out what was wrong.  “Oh sweetie, it’s okay.  You’re just growing up.”

==

Two hours and several short phone calls later Alfie had been given a very confused and quiet ride home and Tia and Annie were sitting at the kitchen table quietly taking in the flurry of activity between the kitchen and where they were seated.

Jack stepped back in the house and looked around, “Where’d Dad go?”

The adult in the kitchen stopped and looked around, surprised the person in question wasn’t in the same room, “I don’t know.”

Chuckling, Jack turned and headed up the stairs, finding his Dad in his bedroom.

Hotch smiled at his son, “I’m not ready for this.  It wasn’t this hard when I had the talk with you.”

“It was hard for me.”  Jack grinned.  “I hated getting the talk.  Every time.”

“Your daughter is starting puberty.  You ready to go down there and be a part of this?”

“What?  I thought Penelope was going to do it?”

“Ah.  After you left with Alfie, she informed me that we have to be present and pay attention or she’s going to leave us to explain everything on our own.”

Jack pulled a face.

“Yeah, I thought so too.  Did you see everything she brought?”

“She was in the kitchen when I came through, there were cups and plates of something.”

Hotch finished dressing and started for the stairs, “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

==

Annie ducked her head again and glanced at Tia, both girls giggled.  They had listened to the cheerful woman across the table explain, no holds barred, exactly what was happening and what would happen to them as they got older.  Penelope had actually been fun to talk to about everything and Tia was glad her mom had said she could stay.  They funny part was each time either of the girls glanced over at the two men at the opposite end of the table, they look uncomfortable.

“Okay!”  Penelope stood, “Enough of all this for now.  I am thinking we go for mani/pedis and do something girlie.”  She turned to Hotch and Jack, “Is that okay with the two of you?”

Both men nodded dumbly.


	6. Fifteen Years Old

** Fifteen Years Old **

Annie could hear her Papa on the phone as she returned home from the library.  Dropping her backpack at the bottom of the stairs, a habit that drove her Dad crazy, she wandered to the back of the house to the joint office.  Hovering at the edge of the doorway, she waited until he hung up his call before slipping in and sitting in a big chair.

Hotch stared at the phone in his hand for a minute, gathering his thoughts.  “Will you go upstairs and pack a bag for about a week?  I’ll call your Dad and then I’ll be up.”

“What’s wrong?”

He turned to her, tears in his eyes, “I’ll tell you in the car, okay?”

Annie nodded and backed out of the room.  While she packed her bag, she wondered what could have happened that had her Papa looking so sad.  She bounced down the stairs and took her things to the car.  Hotch followed several minutes later.

Ten miles down the road, Hotch finally cleared his throat and began to speak.  “Do you remember my friend Dave?”

She thought a moment, “The writer?”

He nodded but didn’t elaborate for several miles.  “Dave doesn’t have any family.  Not official family.” 

“I haven’t seen him since I was a kid.”

Thinking a moment, “No, I guess you haven’t.”

When the silence had drawn out, Annie asked, “Are we going to see him?”

“Yeah.”

==

Annie stared up at the large house as they waited for the door to be answered.  A brunette with her hair pulled back opened the door and gave them a smile, “I’m so glad to see you.”

Hotch stepped up and gave her a long hug, “Are we the first ones here?”

The woman nodded, ushering them into a large living room with floor to ceiling windows on two sides that overlooked the woods beyond.  “I finally reached everyone.  Will and JJ are getting a flight tonight, JJ said she’s called the boys.  The Morgan’s will be here in time for dinner and I left a message for Spencer to call me back.”  She noticed Annie hanging back, “Is this Jack’s Annie?”

Hotch smiled at his granddaughter, “Yep.”

“How is Jack doing?”

“There is a woman he works with; he’s been going out for drinks with her and that’s progressed into dinners and one movie that I know of.”  Hotch sat on one of the large sofas.

The woman grinned and joined him, “And you’ve been encouraging this?”  She teased.

He nodded, “I told him to go for it.”

“Wanting him to learn from your mistakes I see.”

Hotch blushed slightly but didn’t respond.  “And how is the fourth Mrs. Rossi doing?”

She smacked him arm.  “I am not the fourth Mrs. Rossi!”

“Only because you’ve turned him down four times.”

“Five now.”

“He proposed again?”  Hotch’s brows rose in surprise.

Her smile faltered, “Last night.  I just…”  She looked down and picked at her nails a minute before looking back up, “I can’t do that.”

“I understand.”  Aaron’s voice was soft.

The sound of the doorbell broke the silence, Hotch squeezed her shoulder before rising and answering it.

Annie turned to peer over the back of her seat as who was entering.  She smiled when she saw Penelope on her grandpa’s arm. 

Penelope made a beeline for the other woman, “Emily!  How are you holding up?”

The women hugged, “Okay I guess.  He’s resting now, everyone else will be here by tonight late.”

“Well, I’ll finish organizing everything.  One last family dinner, yeah?”

Emily nodded and gave her friend a wet smile.

==

As everyone sat around the table, Annie realized she knew most everyone present.  Her dad and his girlfriend had turned up just in time for the meal.  His friend and co-worker Henry was there along with his wife and two boys; and Henry’s parents and brother were seated near him.

She looked around the table, an empty seat was at one end next to Emily who Annie had met earlier and Penelope was at the woman’s other side.  The Morgan’s were on the far end of the table.  Annie knew Derek from projects he helped her grandfather with and his wife had seen Annie when she was sick a few times.  Annie leaned over to Hotch, “How do you know everyone?”

Hotch looked at his granddaughter and then around the table.  “I used to work with everyone.  Long before you, when I worked for the FBI, this was my family.”  He gestured to each person as he spoke, “JJ and Derek, Penelope and Emily.”  He frowned at the empty chair, “Dave.”  His eyes swept around to the tall thin man seated to the other side of the empty seat, “Spencer.”

Annie caught the change in his tone at the last name, “Who’s he?”

Hotch opened his mouth to respond, be just then the caterers appeared with the next course of food.

==

After the meal, the former agents quietly headed upstairs leaving spouses and kids behind.  Annie followed at a distance, curious.  At the end of the hall, the adults surrounded a bed, some sitting in chairs that were set up.

Emily said something Annie couldn’t hear and the other women choked back sobs.  The night wore on as the sounds from downstairs finally settled as the guests they went to sleep.  All through the night the six by the bed sat watch.

As the sun was rising Annie felt herself starting to drift off in her spot by the door.  She felt like she’d been keeping watch for something, but she wasn’t sure what.  The house was totally still and silent, which made Emily’s whispered, “Aaron” sound like shouting.

Annie could just see her Papa rise and reach out to the man on the bed, “He’s gone.”  He whispered back even softer.

Emily wrapped herself around the still form and cried.

==

Annie had remained quietly observant through the days that followed Dave’s death and funeral.  The group of former agents all looked a little haunted for a reason she couldn’t work out. She watched them all, how they interacted with each other.  Late on their last evening, Annie found herself sitting next to Henry’s mom in the living room.  “Can I ask something?”

JJ looked up, “Sure sweetie.”

Spencer, where does he live?”

“In D.C. now.  He teaches at the university.  Why?”  JJ shifted to sit sideways on the couch.

“I can’t remember ever meeting him.  And he and my Papa… I don’t know.  Are they not friends like the rest of you guys?”

“Oh.”  JJ smiled slightly.  “I probably shouldn’t be the one to tell you, but I doubt Hotch will.  They were in a relationship a long time ago.  Not for very long though.  Hotch used to oversee the unit we all were a part of and he struggled with being attracted to a member of his own team.  They never could get the timing right.”

Annie thought about that for a minute.  “Do you think they still love each other?”

“I do.”  JJ leaned back, “Spencer has dated off and on, but as far as I know nothing ever went past a couple dates and your grandpa.  Well.  As far as I’m aware he’s not dated at all since they went their separate ways.  I haven’t heard anything through the grape vine anyway, officially or unofficially.”

“They haven’t actually spoken to each other the whole time we’ve been here.”

“And they probably won’t.  Emily and Dave weren’t exactly a poster relationship for how to figure shit out themselves.”  She covered her mouth, “Crap, please ignore that.”

Annie laughed, “It’s okay.  I’ve heard worse.”

“I bet you have.  Anyway, Emily and Dave have been together in one form or another for like twenty years.”  She caught herself, “Had been together.  Wow.  He’s really gone.”

==

Annie was finally heading to her room in the nearly dark house when she passed the open door of the library, a soft glow coming from inside.  She crept closer to see who was inside.

There was a large wingback chair in the corner by a window.  It was caught in the soft light of the moon through the window and the yellow glow of the desk lamp in the opposite corner.  Her grandfather was seated in the chair, head back and eyes closed.  A long form was sitting on the floor at his feet, arms folded on Hotch’s knees and head resting on the arms.  Hotch was running his fingers through the long hair covering the head.

Annie was curious but didn’t want to intrude on the intimate moment.

 


	7. Seventeen Years Old

** Seventeen Years Old **

Annie pulled up at her Papa’s house.  Her dad had bought his own place with his fiancée during her final semester of high school and had moved in shorty after graduation.  Jack’s explanation had been that he didn’t want to cause Annie a bunch of upheaval when she should be studying, but now she would be heading off to college soon anyway, so it didn’t really matter where they officially lived.  Annie liked Lisa.  A lot.  She was happy to see her dad finally moving on and doing things for himself.

Annie put her car in park and looked up at the house.  It would always be home to her.  She climbed out and headed inside, stopping short at the dining room.  There was a bouquet of flowers on the table and a partially opened gift, but what got her attention was her grandpa caught up in a passionate kiss, hands in the hair of a tall lanky figure.

 


	8. Tewnty-One Years Old

** Twenty-One Years Old **

Jack pulled his oldest daughter into a big hug, “Congratulations Sweetie!” 

“Thanks Dad, for everything.”  She placed a big kiss on his cheek and then pulled her stepmom in for a hug as well.  “I can’t believe this part is over!  Finally!”  Annie laughed.  She’d graduated from college that morning, the prospect of freedom from studying, at least for a little while, was inviting.  She glanced around and spotted her grandpa making his way toward her, grin on his face.  He was leaning on a cane with one hand and had Spencer holding tightly to his arm on the other side.  Spencer had become a permanent fixture in their lives while Annie had been at college.

“Let’s go celebrate!”  Spencer declared once they got close.  “Your first degree, this is a big deal!” 

 


	9. Twenty-Eight Years Old

** Twenty-Eight Years Old **

Tears tracked down her cheeks as her husband drove them to the hospital.  She rubbed her hands over her rounded belly, “It’s not fair.”

James reached across and took her hand, “I know, Hon, you wanted him to get to see the babies.  He could recover enough to still do that.”

Annie sniffled, “Katie and Tyler won’t really remember him.”  She was thinking of her nine and six year old half siblings.

“Spencer is with him?”

Annie nodded.  They were silent the rest of the way to the hospital.

==

Spencer looked up when Annie and her husband entered the room, “Here, sit.”  He guided the heavily pregnant young woman to the chair he vacated.  “He’s stable now, the doctors think he’ll be able to hold his own if he makes it through the next twenty-four without incident.”

Annie took Aaron’s hand, “And then what?”

“Then he can come home, but we’ll have to get a different house.  Single story.”

“We’ll but it.”  Annie turned to James, “We can buy it, right?  We can raise the kids there.”

James nodded, “Yeah, we can buy it.”

The hand holding hers tightened a moment before eyelids fluttered open, “Annie?”

“I’m here Papa.”  She moved to sit on the bed and rested his hand on her belly, “We’re all here.”

 


	10. Thirty Years Old

** Thirty Years Old **

Annie sat on the back porch and watched her boys tumble around in the grass.  Aaron and Bentley had been born two weeks after her visit to Hotch in the hospital.  Hotch had come home shortly after the boys and they had all lived together for over eighteen months before her Papa had finally succumbed to his weak heart.  Now Annie watched her own boys playing in the same yard her dad watched her play in as a child. 

Spencer had made motions to move out after Hotch had passed away to give Annie and James space to raise their family in peace, but the couple wouldn’t hear of it.  Annie had told him her grandfather had loved him for years, even if they hadn’t been open with one another about it.  That he was family now too.

She knew her family had always been a little different that other families, but Annie had decided, she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.


End file.
